German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the decision to lift restrictions on the range of weapons provided to Kiev was taken several months ago.
“My comments on the cancellation by countries of restrictions on the range of weapons, relate to a decision taken several months ago,” Merz said, quoted by Reuters.
The German chancellor said that if the Russian side is not ready to accept Vatican mediation, it shows that Russia is not interested in agreeing to a ceasefire or even a peace agreement.
“Wars usually end because of economic or military exhaustion on one or both sides, and in this war we are obviously still far from achieving that (situation),” Merz said at a joint press conference with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Turku.
“So we may have to prepare for a longer period,” Merz added.
The previous day, Friedrich Merz said Germany, Britain, France and the United States had lifted restrictions on the range of weapons supplied to Ukraine.
“There are no longer any range restrictions for weapons supplied to Ukraine. Neither on the part of the UK, nor on the part of France, nor on the part of us. on the part of the Americans there are also none,” Merz said.
The Kremlin called the decision “dangerous,” saying that “if such decisions were indeed made, absolutely go against our aspirations for an exit to a political settlement.”